Art Competition Archive

I’m 65 years old as of this week and began seriously to study painting in 2014. Prior to that, I had taken a few art classes because it has been a life-long passion, but I last picked up my pencil in 1980. I had started working in pastel pencil and charcoal drawing portraits but in that season of my life, I became a new mother while advancing in my career, which required me to devote all my time and energy supporting our nation’s decision makers as an aerospace systems engineer. 31 years later, with a body depleted by a low immune system and a high-stress work environment, I had to retire early. …

… I once thought my style would be that of my favorite Impressionist artists, but find myself usually working more in the realistic realm. I’ve dabbled in abstract using some leftover paint in a casual way that leads me to see images and inspires the resulting painting. I paint what I see, literally.

I don’t use any standard processes other than that and a few guidelines I’ve learned doing my own research, such as the rule of thirds and grids. I often take photos and work with them in Power Point to see what I might paint. My work is largely self-taught, but I give God credit for any innate skill I may have.

I dream of having my own studio instead of the little sunroom off my kitchen and going on a sabbatical to some place where I find happiness (think beach) and where no family nor household distractions would interfere with my ability to devote days doing nothing but painting. …